School as a nuke

[jokermunkee]

I've been reading on this forum a lot for the last couple of months.  I DEPped in June and leave in January for RTC as a nuke.  I am currently taking a few extra classes at a local community college.  Combined with those I earned in high school, I will have about 30 credit hours.  Now to the questions:

1.  I have seen a lot written about Thomas Edison State College.  Almost everyone says to get the degree there.  Looking at it closely, however, I found that its a Nuclear Engineering "Tech" degree.  Are there any schools that offer a decent amount of credits for the nuke schooling that offer a "real" engineering degree?

2.  Everyone says that the pick up for nukes into officer programs is higher.  Yet I also read that officers who have been enlisted, or "mustangs" as I've seen them called, are very rare.  Does anyone have statistics on the pick up for nukes, or any enlisted, into programs like STA-21, or OCS?  How many applicants are there?  What percentage is taken? (Obviously the needs of the navy come first, but there must be some sort of statistical average).

3.  After completing the pipeline I plan on going to the surface fleet.  I know they offer classes on board the larger ships (like carriers), but I was wondering how much time the average nuke has to take classes.  After one gets qualled, how much free time will they have?  I have read there are 12 hour 'shifts,' does this mean there are 12 hours off?  Also do they offer foreign languages classes on the boats or only at the CTI school in CA?  I would like to learn Russian, Arabic, or Farsic.

Thanks in advance for any help.  This site is a better recruiter than my recruiter...

[DJM75]

Good choice on going surface.  I don't have much info on the officer programs.  Other than you are right there aren't nearly as many prior-enlisted officers as there are regulars.  But if you want to go officcer from the enlisted ranks Nuke is the way to go.  Also yes you can take classes while underway but generally you won't have time.  No, we don't work 12hr shifts.  The rest of the Navy does.  We usually do 5hr watches then either get 10 or 15 hrs off then another watch.  So while everybody else has a relatively set schedule ours is always rotating around.  That it is what actually makes it hard.  They don't schedule the classes around our rotating watches.
  Don

[CharlieRock]

1.  I agree with your assessment on TESC.  Many schools offer some credits for nuke school/protype - the number I have heard thrown about is 27-30 (not that bad).  I do know that some schools offer a 'real' engineering program designed specifically for nukes, although its usually active duty nukes they are targeting.  A great example of this is Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate NY.  RPI is a top notch college and they offer a program near the prototype, for staff only, that is designed around your shift work schedule and length of tour.  They really work hard to get you to finish off your Mech E or Nuke E degree.  Also Tennessee, Florida and Jacksonville appear very hospitable towards nukes.

2.  This is a tricky subject.  Nukes have a very high percentage of of the slots for commissioning programs compared to the rest of the Navy but the number of acceptees compared to applicants is still 'low'.  It is true that the number of regular officers compared to prior is low overall in the Navy but I can tell you (with no uncertainty) that almost 20% of the graduates from the Officer side of nuclear power school in the last CY were priors.  One thing I do see is that a lot of priors seem to go submarines. Of course (with the exception of a couple of lucky LDOs), the only way to get to be a sub officer is to go in as line officer, whereas the surface nuke officers have a fair number of LDOs.

3.  Most of courses that you can get underway are basic English comp, business math type courses, so I don't know a single nuke (certainly none of my guys) that took one.  It is very difficult to get a degree while serving at sea.  It is somewhat easier on shore.

[jokermunkee]

Though not exactly what I wanted to hear, I appreciate the information.  Thanks. 

Brandon

[CharlieRock]

Remember that you have enlisted.  You should try to fulfill all your desires in the Navy, whether that's 6 and out with a GI Bill, 20 years and Master Chief or a commission.  But don't lose sight of what you agreed to do - be an enlisted sailor.  The quickest way to make sure you don't get a commission is to be pissed off because you 'expected' to get a commission and that expectation has been thwarted.

[SSN21LELT]

1.  The Thomas Edison program is a good program, they are very flexible and work with you to finish classes, something that will be very important during your time in the Navy.  Completing college classes while enduring sea duty can be a very difficult task unless you are extremely focused on it (and it certainly won't be allowed by your command until you have qualified your senior in rate watchstation, which can take up to 18 months).  I am enrolled in this program myself and recommend it if you are going to pursue a degree while on sea duty.  As charlierock said, RPI has a good program, but you have to be on shore duty at the Ballston Spa Prototype to use it.  Similar programs are available to staff stationed in Charleston, SC (This would require additional service).

2.  As far as nukes getting picked up for officer programs goes,  i don't know how the surface numbers go, but almost every nuke that applied for an officer program while I was on the sub got picked up with the exception of a couple dirtbags.  If you have a good work ethic and play well with others this probably will not be an issue.

3.  As far as working hours go, we were on 18 hour days while underway on the sub.  6 hours of watch, followed by 6 hours maintenance/collateral duties/left over free time, then 6 hours to sleep under ideal circumstances.  Free time will all vary with whatever is going on at the moment.  On a side note, you will have more free time on a carrier than on a sub, but its a different experience.  People on carriers tend to be more specialized and militaristic, while the sub fleet leans more to the jack-of-all-trades mentality, and the crew will be much more close knit.

Good luck in your enlistment.  Its going to be tough, but I'm willing to say that if you can succeed here, you will most definetly be able to succeed anywhere.

[CharlieRock]

Not to flame the fans of 'bubbleheads vs targets' debate, but I feel compelled to add that the 'more free time' on a carrier than on a sub comments is a little off-target (pun intended).  Having earned silver dolphins prior to my incarnation as a target driver, at sea I think most carrier have as little (or as much) free time as submariners.  The 18 hour day helps keep everybody in sync on a sub.  On a carrier, it was not uncommon to stand the 0300-0700 watch, stay up for a full work day (all my Reactor Officers demanded berthing be empty from 0700-1400), stand the 1700-2200, then standby as CAT for the next watch (a drill set), roll into the rack for a couple of hours, then stand the 0700-1200.

In port, I agree.  We were never less than 4 section duty in port but on my sub we were almost always in three section duty.

[taterhead]

I can concur with most of the guys here on the classes underway.  The first year you are on the ship you should be engrossed in your Quals...in rate and ESWS.  After you are Senior in Rate qualified and warfare qualified, then you can start thinking of education.

While underway, I studied for DANTES tests and knocked out several lower and upper level classes.  Now at Shipyard Shore duty, I go to school full time on my GI Bill.

[kwicslvr]

Excelsior also offers a course very similar to the Thomas Edison one.  I've heard it's actually better though then the TE.  I'm currently looking ionto that claim.   Also if you go to Prototype in Saratoga has a staff instructor, whether it's a sea returnee or staff pickup, you can do the Nuclear Engineering program through RPI.  Awesome program and very highly respected.  No cake walk though.

Your best chance to get picked up STA-21 is probably during Prototype.  I routinely saw ~10 students each class being picked up.

[stigge]

If you are wanting to become an officer as an eng goal, start as an officer.  Look into the options the Navy has such as Nrotc.  There are many scholarship opportunities provided by the navy to pay for your college.

[psmarz]

Old Dominion seems good.  It is ABET certed.  I did not see where Thomas Edison State was ABET certed.  A BSET is not a Bachelors in Engineering it is a Bachelors in Engineering Technology...I am looking potentially at getting a BSET because it will be easy to qualify for and then see about transferring as much over to a Bachelors in Engineering and work towards Masters from there.

[Gamecock]

Old Dominion seems good.  It is ABET certed.  I did not see where Thomas Edison State was ABET certed.  A BSET is not a Bachelors in Engineering it is a Bachelors in Engineering Technology...I am looking potentially at getting a BSET because it will be easy to qualify for and then see about transferring as much over to a Bachelors in Engineering and work towards Masters from there.

to you for digging up a thread that was over four years old.